johnson



FRANK c. JOHNsoN,

ATENT 'FFICE.

OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

GAS-GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,340, dated November 6, 1888.

Application filed June 21, 1888.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK G. J OHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas- Governors, of which the following is a specification.

It is a well-known fact that illuminating-gas in order to be economically employed should be consumed under a pressure not to exceed the weight of a column of water from sixtenths to nine-tenths of an inch in height, while it is a fact that the pressure of gas in the streetmains equals from one-half of an inch to three inches of water.

The object of my invention is to regulate the supply of illuminating gas to consumers in such a manner that each, jet or burner shall be automatically furnished with only an economical supply of gas, irrespective of the surplus flow of gas through the main supply-cock and irrespective of an excess of pressure of the gas in the main pipe, and also irrespective of the number ofjets or burners that may be at any one time lighted or extinguished. This I attain by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section, being on the line w w of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a transverse section on the line y y of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a transverse section on the line 2 z of Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, the drawings being full size for the device to govern sixty or more lights. 7

A Ais a plain cylinder surrounding the upper portion of the cylinder 0 O. The cylinder A A, I will term the inclosing-cylinder, and O Othe inclosed cylinder, which two cylinders are united together at the bottom of A A, leaving and forming a narrow annular space between them, and which said space is nearly filled with quicksilver, G G.

F F F is a gas-tight inverted cylindrical cup or cap placed over and upon the end of the cylinder C G, the sides of which said cup or cap stand in the quicksilver, G G, and extend, when at rest, down to the bottom of the said annular space, as shown in Fig. 1. This inverted cap or cup Iwi-ll term the gas-receiver. The cylinder 0 0 extends below the cylinder A A, and upon one side of which is provided a tubu- Scrial No. 277,850.

lar outlet, 0', for the exit of the gas. \Vithin (No model.)

which at the top is partially closed, but having the circular opening (I at the top and the into the cylinder 0 O, and a thread upon the inside to fasten the entire governor tothe pipe H, which is the connecting-stem of the gasmeter. WVithin this valve-cylinder D D is inclosed the valve E, which I will term plugvalve, and which is suspended from the top of the gas-receiver F F by the suspending-wire c. This valve E consists of a hollow shell of peculiar form, being transversely round, the top of which is asemi-globe,from which said globular portion (beginning at the line y 3 Fig. 1) it has a gradual slight taper to within a short distance of its bottom, (at the linezz, Fig. 1,) where its sides are parallel, and in the parallel portion are cut a couple of small V-shaped vertical slots, 0 e, Fig. 3, the diameter below the line 2 2: being the same as the diameter of the upper opening, (1, in the cylinder D D.

On the top of the inclosing-cylinder A A is a cover, B, having a small vent-hole, b. This cover has deep sides and is provided with a thread which corresponds to a thread on the cylinder, whereby the said cover is screwed upon the cylinder. The function of this cover is not alone to cover the upper end of the inclosing-cylinder A A, but its further function is also, under certain circumstances, to adjust the limit of the upward movement of the gas receiver F F. Therefore I will term this cover 13 the adjustable cover. The central portion of this adjustable cover is also arched, to furnish a space between it and the top of the gas-receiver to receive the stem j and adj usting-weights j when it (the receiver) stands at its uppermost position. j, Fig. 1, is a stem attached to and extending a short distance above the gas-receiver, and j is a small weight, like a thick washer, to graduate the weight of the gas-receiver. The area of the annular space between the largest part of the plugvalve E and the valve-cylinder D D and between the said valve-cylinder E and the inclosed cylinder 0 O are equal to each other and Outside of which is a thread which fastens itthis cylinder 0 O is another cylinder, D D,

circular opening cl at the bottom. This cylnot less than the area of the valve-opening d in the top of the valve-cylinderD D, so that whatever gas can pass through the said valveopening (I can freely pass between the plugvalve and between the said two cylinders.

Having described the several parts of my device, the operation thereof is explained as follows: The gas from the meter enters the valve-cylinder D D through the opening (1 into the top of the inclosed cylinder 0 G and under the gas-receiver F F, and is prevented from passing under the bottom of the gas-receiver into theinclosing-eylinder A A by the quicksilver. From the gas-receiver F F and inclosed cylinder 0 O the gas passes down between the valve-cylinder D D and the inclosed cylinder 0 G into and out of the exit-pipe C, which said exit-pipe connects with the pipes that convey the gas to the burners, the course of the gas as it thus passes through the governor being indicated by the arrowsin Fig. 1. The entire weight of the gasrcceivcr F F and the plug-valve E, including the suspendingwire a, is arranged to just equal the minimum pressure of gas, which insures the greatest economy in the consumption thereof consistent with a fair light, which said pressure is equal to the pressure of a column of water six-tenths of an inch high. lhercfore,il' the pressure of gas in the supply-pipe is not greater than this the regulator stands wide open or neutral and does not in any manner interfere with the flow of the gas; but if in a given case the consumer desires a greater initial pressure the gas-receiver F F is made to balance a higher column of water by placing extralight weights 7'", Fig. 1, thereon. For instance, if an initial press are equal to nine-tenths of an inch of water he desired suflicient additional weight is added to the gas-receiver to makethe same equal the weight of this height of water. In this case the governor will remain neutral or inoperative until the pressure in the supply-pipe exceeds this pressure. 'lf, however, the pressure of gas in the supply-pipe be greater than the initial pressure at which the governor may be set and no gas is being consumed, the gas-receiver will rise to its utmost height,which will bring the top of it into contact with the adjustable cover 3 and bring the plug-valve E into and close the valve-opening d, except the small V-slots cc, Fig. 3. These small V-slots are to prevent the entire cutting off of the gas by the governor, so that the burners will be furnished under all circumstances with sufficient gas to be ignited. If, now, one or more or any number of burners up to the full capacity of the governor be ignited, the pressure of gas below the gas-receiver F F will be proportionately diminished and the weight of the gas-receiver (being always equal to the initial pressure to which it may be set) will carry it down and lower the plug-valve E and correspondingly increase the supply of gas by increasing the space between the sides of the said valve and the sides of the valveopening d, which said diminution of the said space will be very slow and gradual when only a relatively small nu mbcrof burners are ignited, as the taper of the plug-valve is very slight, being only a thirty-second of an inch on more than an inch of the length of the said plugvalve; but when a sufficient number of burners are ignited to diminish thepressure of gas down nearly to the initial pressure at which the governor is set-say to within about a quarter of an inch of its lowest possible point, as shown by the dotted line 1?, Fig. 1-then from this point of pressure and position of the valve-plug it becomes necessary, in order to allow asuflicient amountof gas to pass through the regulator to maintain a proper pressure at the burners, that the opening of the valve act quickly-that is, that the valve should become wide open in passing but a short vertical distance-and rapidly fall to thepoint, as shown in Fig. 1, where the regulator becomes neutral or inoperative, allowing all the gas to pass through the valve which can be furnished by the supply-pipe H. The converse of this is also needed when the gas is being turned off at the burnersthatis, when a considerable number of burners are turned off the first quarter of an inch rise of the plug-valve will cut off the majority of the flow of gas, owing to the semiglobular form of the top of the said plugvalve. These results can be attained only by a device which affords, in effect, a V-shapcd opening mach enlarged at the point where the surplus pressure of gas approximates the initial pressure. The arrangement and operation of my device as above set forth attain this result.

The purpose of the adjustable cover 13 is to limit and adjust the upward motion of the gasrceeiver F F. In cases where a large and pretty uniform number of burners are employed-that is, where all the burners are ignited and extinguished about the same time asin factories, it is desirable that the governor should not as nearly cut off all the gas as in dwellings,where thenumber oflights employed constantly varies from one to several.

The suspending-wire c is provided with a thread in the top of the plug-valve E for the purpose of limiting and adjusting the downward motion of the said valve, whereby the valve can be adjusted to enter the valve-opening, and so begin to rapidly cut off the supply of gas quicker than it otherwise would.

To adjust the initial pressure, (below which said pressure the governor remains inoperative,) it is only necessary to unscrew the cover B and increase or diminish the aggregate weight of the gas-receiver F F, adding or removing, as the case may be, the weights j.

The plug-valve E is but slightly tapering in that portion of it which controls the flow of gas when it (the gas) is at its higher points of pressure, which in effect constitutes a Vshaped opening between the plug-valve E and the valve-opening d. This kind of cut-off of the IIO flow of gas is indispensable in order to vary the opening (for the passage of the gas) more for a given increase or decrease of its pressure when the surplus pressure is largely in excess, because when the surplus pressure is largely in excess the rise and fall of the valve E varies more by opening or closing a burner than when .the pressure is not greatly in excess.

I am aware that a regularly-tapering V- shaped opening for the passage of gas through gas-governors is not new-as, for instance,snch an opening is employed in a device for which Letters Patent were granted to myself April 8, 1879, and numbered 214,153, in' which said device the V-shaped opening is cut in a tube and covered and closed and opened by a sleeve working on the tube containing the slot, which thereby is more or less closed and opened by the varying pressure of the gas. Therefore I do not claim, broadly, aV-shaped opening for the passage of gas through gas-governors when such an opening is made of a uniform taper through its entire length.

I am also aware that it is common to employ an inverted cup and seal of quicksilver in vari- 25 ous-shaped cases for actuating the valves of gas-governors. Therefore I do not claim such parts irrespective of their peculiar form and special arrangement; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by 0, Letters Patent, is-- I In a gas-pressure governor, the hollow plugvalve E, having a semiglobular top and slightly tapering sides below the globular top,whereby the said valve in its first upward movement 35 rapidly cuts off the gas and in its further upward movement more slowly and gradually cuts off the gas, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

FRANK G. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

FRANK R. J OHNSON, (l. S. MARTIN. 

